Political battle rages on even as Apple executive’s widow relents

Opposition parties continued to target the Uttar Pradesh government over the killing of Apple employee Vivek Tiwari even as his family relented on its stand on various issues related to his death after a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Adityanath increased the compensation amount to the family of the slain executive from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh , and promised them government accommodation. The amount is lower than the Rs 1 crore compensation initially demanded by the family after Tiwari was shot dead by a policeman in what seems to be a horrific case of police excess.

Although Tiwari’s wife Kalpana Tiwari expressed satisfaction, BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra and later Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav dismissed the compensation as inadequate. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also spoke to the widow of the slain employee and expressed her sympathies.

The family also climbed down from its demand of a CBI probe into the killing, even as BSP chief Mayawati said she was willing to offer legal aid to the family if it doesn’t trust the UP police probe. “We are satisfied. The chief minister has assured us of full cooperation,” the slain executive’s wife said after the meeting. The chief minister also separately met Tiwari’s two young daughters.

Adityanath asked deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma to escort the widow Kalpana, her brother and two daughters to his official residence where the meeting took place. After Adityanath told them “we are fully with you”, the family dropped the demand for a CBI probe.

“After the meeting, Kalpanaji was fully satisfied with the police investigations which have already been expedited,” chief minister’s advisor Mrityunjay Kumar said.

A government job for the slain executive’s wife in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and a government accommodation were also offered to the family by the CM. The Tiwaris currently live in a rented house.

First Published: Oct 01, 2018 23:14 IST